Posted on March 19, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

30-Year Anniversary of Historic Pit Bull Attack Victim and The Village of Tijeras Pit Bull Ban

30-Year Anniversary Video
Village of Tijeras, NM - On March 19, 1984, Angela Hands, 9-years old, was critically injured by four pit bulls belonging to a relative while walking home from school. Two younger pit bulls running loose initiated the attack. The two parent pit bulls then climbed a 6-foot high fenced enclosure and joined the destructive, sustained attack. After receiving extensive reconstructive surgeries, doctors estimated that Angela would continue to undergo these surgeries until she reached the age of 35.1

When the dogs finished with her, Angie Hands' right leg was gnawed to the bone. Flesh and muscle had been gouged from her upper arms, and the 9-year old's ear was ripped in half. - Syracus Herald-Journal, 19852

Just under two months later, the Village of Tijeras adopted a pit bull ban. The Court of Appeals of New Mexico upheld the constitutionality of the ban in 1988, which helped lay the legal framework for bans adopted by Denver and Miami in 1989. We discovered the Angela Hands footage3 while watching the Lucas County Dog Warden Dogfighting Compilation DVD (1987-1997). We captured key segments from the DVD to create this video, which reflects upon that time period and today.

What Has Changed Today?

Not the "horrific" injuries inflicted by pit bulls. In a recent attack that gained significant international attention, 7-year old Sakurako Uehara was bitten over 100 times by four pit bulls.4 Her family was visiting New Zealand from Japan when the animals, owned by a family friend, unleashed a violent, sustained attack. At a recent news conference, surgeon Zac Moaveni described the girl's condition as "horrific." Moaveni said, "I don't think any of us were prepared for what we were going to see."

The first priority is to stabilize Sakurako and clean her "grossly contaminated" injuries … The reconstruction of Sakurako's "ferocious" facial wounds would take time, Moaveni said. - NZ Herald News, 20145

Amazingly, Angela was not bitten on her face during the attack. Sakurako was bitten all over her body. In an interview with Radio New Zealand, Dr. Moaveni said, "There is a lot of damage to the face," and that a "large amount of crush injury" is involved. Moaveni is hopeful that she will have "some sight" after many reconstructive surgeries and the ability to eat and drink, but it is too early to forecast. Moaveni predicts Sakurako will need these surgeries until she reaches adulthood.

Nor has the "pit bull debate" changed since Angela's attack. This 1986 Associated Press archive article, which shows the Village of Tijeras pit bull ban one step prior to the Court of Appeals decision, opens with the same claim we that hear so often today by pro-pit bull groups. The Village of Tijeras pit bull ban "is discriminatory," said the dog owner group challenging the ban, along with the agonizing comparison of a "dog breed" being equivalent to an ethnic group of human beings.

Escalation of Maulings and Fatalities

As stated in the video, the only aspect that has changed in modern times is the increased number of serious and fatal pit bull maulings due to the growing population of the breed. When Angela was attacked in 1984, the pit bull population was estimated to be 1% of the total U.S. dog population, according to a study.6 Five people were killed by pit bulls in 1984. Today, the breed's population base has grown to 6%.7 Last year, pit bulls killed 25 Americans, five times more than in 1984.

Today, nonfatal mauling and maiming injuries inflicted by pit bulls have flown off the charts. We pointed this out in the 2013 Dog Bite Fatality Statistics Discussion Notes in January. If it were not for advanced medical trauma centers and life flight helicopters, a number of these victims would not be alive today, including Sakurako, who will grow up grossly disfigured and possibly blind. The $155,000 raised for the little girl so far, barely reflects the "millions" her acute injuries will require.

The Village of Tijeras got it right in 1984, as did the Court of Appeals of New Mexico in 1988.

Conclusion

We intentionally closed the 30-Year Anniversary video with the scrolling credits of the Lucas County DVD. During those years, 1987 to 1997 (and through 2009), Tom Skeldon was the Lucas County Dog Warden and a fierce advocate for public safety about these dogs. Though we do not know who said it or in what year, the male voice over explains why the pit bull problem still persists today: "It's become a very popular dog for an unsavory element of our humane community."8

View: U.S. Cities, Counties, States and Military Facilities with Breed-Specific Pit Bull Laws

This video and blog post are dedicated to Angela Hands, Sakurako Uehara and Tom Skeldon.

1Garcia v. Village of Tijeras, 108 N.M. 116, 767 P.2d 355, 360 (App. 1988).
2A Breed Apart: Pit bulls Have Killed 12 People Since 1982, by Fred Bayles, Syracuse Herald-Journal, December 31, 1985. Part of this article is also referenced by Gary Wilkes in 1987: Pit Bulls: Foes, Fanciers Agree Dogs Are a Breed Apart, by Gary Wilkes, The Mesa Tribune, July 26, 1987.
3Though we suggest in the video her segment was filmed in 1986 or 1987, it could have been 1988, 4-years after she was attacked. The brave, bubbly little girl in the video does not reflect the true nature of her horrific injuries that required 7-weeks of hospitalization. As noted in the 1986 AP article, her mother also said, "her daughter lost much of the control of her right leg," indicating permanent gait damage in addition to other permanent injuries.
4In the United States, the legal definition of a pit bull includes the Staffordshire bull terrier.
5Dog attack victim faces years of surgery, by Cassandra Mason, The New Zealand Herald, March 7, 2014.
6Pit Bull Attack: Case Report and Literature Review, by Steven F. Vegas, MD, Jason H. Calhoun, MD, M. Eng., John Mader, MD, Texas Medicine, Vol. 84, November 1988.
7Dog attack deaths and maimings, U.S. & Canada September 1982 to December 31, 2013, by Merritt Clifton, editor Animal People, December 31, 2013.
8Contemplate that statement for awhile.

See More: Historical Articles Examining Pit Bulls and Their Victims - DogsBite.org

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: 77-Year Old Phoenix Woman Dies After Bitten by Family Pit Bull

The victim, Nancy Newberry of Phoenix, Arizona.

History of Aggression
Phoenix, AZ - A woman bled to death after being attacked by a family pit bull on Friday. Nancy Newberry, 77-years old, lived at a home with her husband and daughter and three family dogs. The attacking dog was a 4-year old male, neutered pit bull that belonged to her daughter. The dog reportedly had a "history of aggression and biting people," but had never attacked a person in the home before. Her husband, Dick Newberry, said the "dog just snapped" and attacked his wife.

The victim was giving the pit bull "medicine wrapped in meat" when the animal suddenly bit her in the abdomen, a place where she had previously had an operation, according to her husband. "And boy, the blood was coming right out of there like you couldn't believe...and I grabbed a towel and put it over there...and she just slumped to the floor," Dick said. The couple had been married for 57-years. Dick said she was his "whole life." He does not know "what the hell" he will do now.

His daughter pulled the dog off his wife, but she already had wounds in her stomach, Newberry said. She later died at the hospital, where she was taken with life-threatening injuries.
Nancy Newberry suffered a heart attack a few years ago, was on blood-thinning medication and had problems with clotting, her husband said.
"Her heart just couldn't take it," Newberry said. "She was in no condition to get bit like that by a dog."
Newberry said the dog had "always been a little aggressive" and had "nipped" a couple of his daughter's friends. - AZCentral, March 15, 2014

The medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death. The family put the pit bull down.

View Related video

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Arizona Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

Photo: MyFoxPhoenix

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Teenager Killed by Bullmastiff, Second Teenager Hospitalized

Lawyered Up in Paterson
UPDATE 03/07/14: All sides are lawyered up following a dog mauling that injured one teenager and left another dead. It is believed the bullmastiff owned by Paul Clarke jumped out of its fenced yard and attacked the boys at about 4 pm last Friday. At some point after, shortly or hours later, the same dog attacked its owner. Animal control officers arrived at Clarke's home at about 10 pm and found the large dog nearly stabbed to death. Clarke has thus far refused to speak to police.

"Mr. Clarke has not once called the Paterson Police Department, has avoided any and all attempts by the Detective Bureau to communicate with him, and has now hired a lawyer that has directed him to not communicate with the Paterson Police Department,” Rodriguez said.

“Taking this into consideration I am left wondering how Mr. Clark and/or his lawyer are arriving at the conclusion Mr. Clark has not done anything wrong,” Rodriguez concluded. - Paterson Press

Funeral services for 13-year old Kenneth Santillan were held on Thursday in nearby Totowa.

03/02/14: Mauling Victim Identified archived
Law enforcement officials identified the victim of the fatal dog mauling as 13-year old Kenneth Santillan of Paterson. Police also confirmed that the owner of the bullmastiff, named "Trigger" that attacked three people killing one on Friday afternoon, is 50-year old Paul Clarke also of Paterson. A follow up article from the Star-Ledger, "Dog that killed Paterson teen was a ticking time bomb, neighbors say," includes new allegations about the attacking dog, as well as owner neglect.

Clarke's wife Sharon admitted to The New York Post on Saturday that the dog had once bitten her son's friend. A resident who lives near Clarke, Dilma Monasterio, said that she has called police twice in the recent past about the bullmastiff, "because it would often vault fences in its own yard and in neighbors’ yards, including her own," states the article. She said that she was terrified of the animal because it often barked and acted in what she perceived a threatening manner.

This is in addition to comments by retired police officer Randy Billie who said the dog scaled the fence and attacked a teenager last year.

The Ledger article also sheds some light on the 7-hour time frame. Family and friends searched the neighborhood looking for the missing teen, "throughout the night," according to authorities. "They could not locate him," said Chief Assistant Passaic County Prosecutor Michael DeMarco. "They contacted the Paterson Police, which began an investigation into the missing teen." Many parts of the timeline, however, remain unclear, including when the animal attacked Clarke.

03/01/14: Body Found in Woods
In a horrifying update, it was revealed that both boys were attacked near the dog owner's home Friday afternoon. The two boys then ran in opposite directions. One survived and the other died a miserable death all alone. The second boy was found dead 7-hours after the attack in the woods near a creek behind the dog owner's home. That teen left a trail of blood through the woods in the snow, the bloody trail is how first responders were able to find the boy, according to authorities.

Critical questions remained unanswered Saturday evening, including: At what time was the dog owner attacked? Did he see one or both teenagers being attacked? Why did the surviving teenager tell the residents who tried to help him NOT to call 911? Did the dog owner threaten him in some way, just like the dog owner did in the landmark case, Tracey v. Solesky? Police had to cut and roll back an iron fence to find the dead boy. How did the injured boy get to this location?

Finally, exactly why did it take 7-hours for first responders to locate the dead teenager?

The New York Post named the dog's owner, Paul Clarke, and published images of the dog.

03/01/14: More Details Emerge in Mauling archived
The original Star-Ledger news report was updated at 4:27 pm (EST) with many new details, including the time of the attack, which occurred on Friday. The injured 13-year old boy was discovered dead just before midnight by a search and rescue team. Paterson's animal control officer, John DeCando, said the male dog weighed 115 lbs and was stabbed several times by its owner -- who was also bitten badly by the animal -- before being put down by animal control.

A retired Paterson police officer, Randy Billie, lives around the corner from the dog. Billie told the Star-Ledger the dog has hopped its fence before and attacked children. Last year, Billie said the animal attacked a teenager on Sherwood Avenue. "It's nothing to play with. It's like a miniature horse," Billie said. No one appears yet to be questioning why the bullmastiff was still in the neighborhood at all? (At least prosecutors can easily prove prior knowledge of viciousness.)

There continue to be time discrepancies. The attack on the two boys occurred as early as 4:00 pm Friday. That's when the surviving boy was seen terrified and bleeding from his left hand. Residents Orlando Cepeda and his wife Carmen Baez saw the teen, helped to dress his wound and asked if they should call 911. The teen told them not to. Baez said the boy did not tell her about a second person attacked by the dog at that time and did not know anyone had died until Saturday morning.

03/01/14: Dog Kills Teenager, Injures Another archived
Paterson, NJ - In a developing story, a 13-year old boy was killed Saturday after a bullmastiff broke loose from its home and brutally attacked two teenagers near the Passaic River. Passaic County Assistant Prosecutor Michael DeMarco said the two young victims were attacked in the area of Rossiter and Crosby avenues early Saturday morning. The dog, described as a bullmastiff, attacked both children in the street after breaking free from a nearby residence, DeMarco said.

One of the victims, a 13-year old boy, died in the attack. A second teenager was able to escape with his life. DeMarco said that child, also 13, was being treated at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Paterson; the child's injuries were not disclosed. An animal control officer "put the dog down," DeMarco said. The owner of the dog has been identified. There was no relationship between the victims and the owner of the dog, according to prosecutors. Criminal charges are pending.

The Star-Ledger noted that this is the second horrific dog mauling in the area recently that left a child grievously injured or dead. In February, a 10-year old Newark boy was nearly killed by his father's two pit bulls inside a city apartment. Neighbor Robert Ricks kicked in the apartment door to save the child. "It was horrific," Hicks said. The boy was so badly injured, at one point he had "no pulse," police said. He was transported to University Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Photos: Paterson Press and Facebook.com

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Bullmastiff Kills Child, Seriously Injures Another in Killeen, Texas

Raymane Robinson Jr., 2-years old, was killed by a bullmastiff in Killeen, Texas.

No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 04/06/14: The parents of a 2-year old boy killed by a loose bullmastiff hope their son's death encourages officials to change state law regarding vicious dog attacks. Currently, if the animal does not have a history of previous attacks or documented previous aggression, criminal charges cannot be filed. On March 1, 2014 a bullmastiff charged out of its owner's garage and attacked two children walking down a residential street, severely injuring one and killing the other.

The dog could have killed both children during its rampage (more had they been in the vicinity) and there still would be no criminal charges under these circumstances -- not even misdemeanor fines for multiple vicious attacks. At the very least, the owner or caretaker should have been fined $4,000 (Class A misdemeanor maximum) for each attack resulting in serious bodily injury, along with facing up to 2-years in jail. Instead, the caretaker was issued a $164 "dog at large" fine.

The Robinson family has launched a dog violence prevention website at noviciousdogs.com.

View Extended interview with Angela Robinson

03/05/14: Mauling Victim Identified
The victim of the latest Texas fatal dog attack has been identified as 2-year old Raymane Camari Robinson, Jr. Preliminary autopsy results show the cause of death as penetrating and blunt force injuries. Last Saturday, Robinson and an 8-year old girl were walking on a sidewalk in a Killeen residential neighborhood when a bullmastiff flew out of its owner's garage and violently attacked them. Robinson did not survive his injuries; the other child was hospitalized with serious injuries.

A YouCaring.com donation page has been set up to help the boy's family pay funeral costs.

03/02/14: Neighbors Respond to Attack
Three people, ages 18, 8 and 2-years old were walking back from a park on the sidewalk Saturday afternoon when a bullmastiff ran out of its owner's garage and attacked. Killeen police were called out to the 4100 block of Pennington Avenue regarding gunshots being fired. While en route, they were told a dog had attacked several children. The 8-year old girl was the first target and victim of the dog. As neighbors pulled the large animal off of her, the dog next attacked the 2-year old boy.

Police said the child was dragged down the sidewalk until one neighbor fired off rounds to scare the dog away. The animal fled back into the garage after the gunfire. The Coon family, who lives next door and have two children of their own, said it could have been their own. "We were in the backyard at the time when it happened. Any normal day we would be out in the street; it would be my 2-year old and 7-year old and they're out every single day on the street," said Neil Coon.

Mildred Lubina, who lives right in front of where the attack happened, is a nurse. She ran out to help the victims. She saw the injured boy and began administering CPR. "The child started to breathe, but blood was coming out," said Lubina. "Looking at the child, I felt so bad for the helpless child," said Lubina. The boy was rushed to Darnell Army Medical Center in critical condition, but did not survive. As of Sunday afternoon, the 8-year old girl is in stable condition.

Neighbors told Fox 7 News that the dog's owner was out of town at the time and that the massive brute that killed one child and seriously injured another was "being watched by his mother."

Misinformed Texas Media

Fox 7, along with too many other Texas media groups, once again failed to get the Texas felony dog attack law (also called Lillian's Law) correct. The root of the confusion may also be Killeen or Bell County officials. If the latter is true, we invite both to look at the track record of Travis County, who continues to successfully prosecute under the state law. Lillian's Law only applies to loose dog attacks where knowledge of prior viciousness can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Sec. 822.005. ATTACK BY DOG. (a) A person commits an offense if the person is the owner of a dog and the person:

(1) with criminal negligence, as defined by Section 6.03, Penal Code, fails to secure the dog and the dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than the owner's real property or in or on the owner's motor vehicle or boat and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 1.07, Penal Code, or death to the other person; or

(2) knows the dog is a dangerous dog by learning in a manner described by Section 822.042(g) that the person is the owner of a dangerous dog, and the dangerous dog makes an unprovoked attack on another person that occurs at a location other than a secure enclosure in which the dog is restrained in accordance with Subchapter D and that causes serious bodily injury, as defined by Section 822.001, or death to the other person.

(b) An offense under this section is a felony of the third degree unless the attack causes death, in which event the offense is a felony of the second degree.

Learn more about Lillian's Law at dogbitelaw.com.

03/01/14: Dog Kills Child, Injures Another
Killeen, TX - In a developing story, yet another monster bullmastiff attacked and killed one child and seriously injured another in a different part of the country today. Killeen Police said a 2-year old boy died from injuries inflicted by the dog and an 8-year old girl is currently in critical condition at Carl R. Darnell Army Medical Center due to injuries inflicted by the animal. The attacks occurred in a neighborhood near Iduma Elementary School at about 5:00 pm on Saturday afternoon.

The Killeen Daily Herald interviewed Carroll Smith, a Killeen Police Department Public Affairs Officer, in this related video. At the time of the attack, at least three people were walking by a home, ages 18, 8 and 2-years old, when the bullmastiff (unrelated to the victims) escaped its owner's property and attacked the 8-year old girl. People were able to pull the dog off of her. The animal then turned on the 2-year old, latching on to him, dragging him, ultimately killing the boy.

This is the second fatal dog mauling of a child in Bell County, Texas in under 15 days.

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Photo: The Killeen Daily Herald

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